Coupling



Patented Jan. 27, 1942 l coUrLING Cleo Harris, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignmto Borg'- Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ylll., a corpora- *.1 tion of Illinois Application February 10, 1940, Serial No. 318,209

2 claims.

This invention relatesto couplings for containers, conduits, etc. for fluid and particularly" to couplings for connecting adjacent containers wherein the joints between the containers must be gas-tight.

. The object of this invention is to provide a coupling for containers, pipes', and the like, which are made Afrom relatively thin stock, the coupling being effective to make the joints between adjacent containers gas-tight. y

Another object of this invention is to provide a coupling wherein a gasket is used and wherein resilient means are provided for compressing the gasket to form a gas-tight joint.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing which forms-a part thereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, -of an adaptation of this invention wherein the coupling is used to connect sections of a gasfred heating unit together;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a clamping which forms a part of the coupling;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation in section of the novel coupling; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are modifications of the coupling shown in Fig. 3 and embodying the same principles.

Briefly, the novel coupling comprises resilient curled elements or flanges at adjacent ends of the containers to be coupled, a compressible gaskt between the curled elements, and a split clamping ring embracing the curled elements and adapted to contact oppositely sloping portions of the curled elements to deformA the elements and thereby exert a compressive force upon the gasket to form a gas-tight seal.

Referring to the drawing now for a detailed description of the invention, I is a sheet metal combustion chamber for a gas burning furnace ring ' having an opening II through which the prod- (cl. zas-12o) the joints would be dangerous, and consequently,

' the joints must be absolutely tight.

, and radiator.

Referring now to Fig..3 'for the details of the coupling, the portion I4 of radiator I2 and the portion of combustion chamber III which define the passageway II through which the products of combustionow, are formed at their ends with flanges I5 and I6. These flanges are in the form .of closed loops, thatis, the edges I1 and I8 of flanges I5 and I6, respectively, are curled over until they contact the outside of the opening-defining portion of the combustion chamber The reason for this shape is to prevent further curling of the metal when it is subjected to radial pressure. Such curling might result in a separation of the flanges instead of a movement .toward one another, and hence ywould defeat the purpose of the coupling. By

forming closed loops, further curling under operating conditions is prevented. Between flanges I5 and I6 is located an annular gasket I9 made of asbestos or other heat-resistant material.

. Gasket I9 possesses a certain amount of resilience so that it can be compressed between the flanges to take care of irregularities in the contacting surfaces, and yet will exert thefnecessary reactive spreading force thereupon.

It will be observed that the shape of flanges I5 and I6 is such that they likewise possess a certain amount of resilience and yet at the same time are stiff enough, despite the thinness of the stock from which they are made, to withi stand the pressure to which they must be subjected in order to form a gas-tight joint. It will also be observed that the circular contour of the flanges results in a concentration of the compressive force over relatively small areas of contact 20 and 2l on gaskets I9. This further promotes the gas-tight qualities of the coupling.

Embracing flanges I5 and I6 and gasket I9 is a split clamping ring which is shown in Fig. 2. This ring is comprised of sections 22 and 23 made from relatively stiff material. In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each section is provided with clamping lugs 24 and 25, which are welded to the ends of the sections. Each section is slightly less than semi-circular in extent so that they may be drawn tightly together by means of the leakage of noxious gases into the ducts from bolts 50.

In cross-section, the clamping ring resembles a channel iron having sloping sides or flanges. As shown in Fig. 3, the ring is comprised of a fiat portion 26 and radially inwardly sloping flanges 21 and 28, each of which is curled outwardly at its edge. This results in curved surpressive force upon the said flanges l! and Il,

which in turn is transmitted Ito gasket It. The more tightly bolts Il bear uponclamping lugs 2l and 2l, the greater the compressive action exerted upon gasket Il. v

- material, but which nevertheless, are effective to Curved surfaces 2l and It serve to start the clamping rings over the flanges, andV the outturned edges serve additionally to stillen flanges 21 and 28.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the coupling of Fig. 3. In this modification a container Il has a curled flange 32 formed at one end thereof and container 33 hasa beaded radial flange u at its adjacent end. A gasket l5 of heat-resistant and compressible material similar to that of gasket I9 is inserted between flanges I2 and 3l. A split clamping ring ll embraces flanges 32 and u, said ring 38 having a radial flange 31 bearing against flange Il, and a conical flange 38 cooperating with curled flange I2 to exert a compressive f orce upon gasket 3l. Thus, in this modification, just one curled flange and one conical'flange are used and in some cases this will be sufficient.

Fig. 5 shows another modification wherein the curled and conical flanges are interchanged. Containers l! and Il are formed at their adjacent ends with conical flanges 4| and 42, respectively, the ends Il and 44 of which are bent outwardly to reduce the area of contact with gasket 45 and also to stiften said ends. Clamping ring 46 is provided with curled depending flanges 41 and 4l which bear upon conical nanges Il and 42, respectively. It will be apconstructions illustrated result in couplings which are inexpensive, which are adapted to cooperate with fianges formed from relatively thin seal the joint against leakage of gas. The resilience in the fcurled flange is made use of to maintain the tightness of the Joint, and at the same time, provides a means for translating a radial `force into an axial compressive force.

It is understood further that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments of theinventicn, and that thescope of the invention, therefore, is not intended to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A coupling for fluid containers comprising opposed flanges on the containers,v a clamping ring bridging said flanges, depending flanges on said ring cooperating lwith the opposed flanges on the containers, and a compressible gasket between the opposed nanges, the flanges on the containers comprising outwardly curled closed loops such that radially inward eccentric pressure on theloops will tend to move the loops axially, and the flanges on the ring being substantially conical, and means for clamping the ring upon the loops to exert such inward eccentric pressure upon the loops whereby to cause the loops to exert a compressive force upon the gasket to form a fluid-tight seal.

2. A coupling for fluid containers comprising a curled flange on the end of one container, a

. substantially radial flange on the end of the adparent that as ring II is clamped upon flanges l Il and I2, a compressive force will be exerted as in the preceding forms upon gasket to form a gas-tight joint. l

It is understood that other modifications may jacent container, a compressible gasket between the flanges, and a clamping ring embracing the flanges and adapted to exert a compressive force thereupon to compress the gasket and form a fluid tight seal, said ring having a substantially radial flange cooperating with the radial container flange, and a conical flange cooperating with the curled flange.

CLEO HARRIS. 

